Portola Valley School
Also known as: "Primary School" of the Portola School District
Why it's listed
Built in 1909, this one-room wooden schoolhouse at 775 Portola Road in Portola Valley served as the primary school of the Portola School District. The district had grown after half a century of operation, and voters approved a bond in June 1909 to pay for a second school building. Architect LeBaron R. Olive of Palo Alto drew the plans, and Olaf Olsen and Jermone H. LaCroix of Mayfield won the construction contract for $2,347. The design interprets Mission Revival with false-front gables, scalloped arches, simplified quatrefoils and fanlight transoms, executed in redwood and cedar shingles rather than stucco and tile. Wood suited the local redwood country and cost less. The nomination describes it as one of the few remaining turn-of-the-century Mission Revival schools and a small-scale example of the style in wood. Later changes included a rear furnace shed, electrical wiring, composition roofing and a 1952 partition. The building was recorded in good condition, with much original hardware surviving.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the few remaining turn-of-the-century Mission Revival schools, and a conspicuous effort to carry out the style on a small scale in wood. Its extensive use of shingles is considered significant because the Mission Revival style is said to have developed partly from the shingle tradition. It also reflects the district's 1909 growth and the taste of wealthy San Franciscans who owned estates in the valley.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 74000557, listed June 28, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 775 Portola Rd., Portola Valley |
|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County |
| Listed | June 28, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000557 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | LeBaron R. Olive, architect (Palo Alto); built by Olaf Olsen and Jermone H. LaCroix of Mayfield |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and slightly altered; the form notes it was used as a school office and that its proximity to the San Andreas Fault raised fears for its future. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 37.38207, -122.22881 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 74000557.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22077817
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.